Thursday, June 30, 2016

Welcome back everyone! I am happy to be hosting this week's book study as we dive into Goal 2 of the Reading Strategies Book. I have joined my amazing blogger friends to reflect on Goal 2: Teaching Reading Engagement. This week, I'll be focusing on three strategies to support reading engagement which Serravallo assures us, "Without engagement, we've got nothing."So, let's get started with Goal 2: Teaching Reading Engagement

Here's a peek at the strategies, levels, genres, and skills covered in this section.

This goal is vital to reading success because ultimately we want our students to become independent readers and thinkers. If they cannot read for a sustained period of time, they will not achieve the goals you work so hard in guided reading groups to attain. I have chosen to focus on three strategies from this goal which include:

Most Desirable/Least Desirable

"Party" Ladder

Track Progress on a Stamina Chart

2.9 Most Desirable/Least Desirable

This strategy focuses on showing what it looks like to be disengaged, distracted, or unfocused while reading. Then, students can show what it looks like to be focused and engaged. By asking the students to show you, they are internalizing the behaviors they need to become successful readers.

Prompts to ask when teaching this skill would be:

Can you act like you're pretending to read? Now tell me what's different about real reading.

Act disengaged, distracted, and unfocused.

How do the two ways feel different?

How can you be more focused in your reading?

Furthermore, I've created these anchor charts for my students to put in their reader's notebook and also to display in the room. Together we'll brainstorm and discuss what it looks like to be an engaged reader, and what it looks like to be a disengaged reader. If you'd like to do this activity with your students just click on the pictures to download a copy. Available in English/Spanish!

2.10 "Party" Ladder

I really like this strategy because it celebrates success in reading engagement. Students make small, short-term goals for themselves such as reading a few pages, jotting a thought, reading a few more pages, retelling, then ultimately reach a place in the ladder that allows them to "party!" In this sense party is just a tiny reward where they read a short poem. Students move their sticky note each time they make progress toward their goal. This is a great visual representation for students that need that motivation to stay focused.

Prompts to ask when teaching this skill would be:

How long do you think you can read before we switch the task?

What sorts of things will you do to help you stay focused - stretch breaks, jot about your reading, retell in you mind?

Let's make a ladder together.

Anchor Chart taken from 2.10 "Party" Ladder, page 57

2.14 Track Progress on a Stamina Chart

This reading strategy offers another visual representation to help students see their growth as engaged, focused, and independent readers. Teaching students about stamina is very important. I've never used stamina charts, but plan on incorporating them with my second graders this year. We've always tracked growth in reading levels, phonics levels, even weekly assessments, but have never tracked stamina which is what they need to master all those other reading assessments. When readers know how long they've been focused, they can set longer time goals for themselves and try to reach their personal best.

Prompts to ask when teaching this skill would be:

What's your gaol for today's stamina, based on what you've done so far?

Let's take a look at your stamina for the last few days.

What do you notice from your stamina chart.

Anchor chart taken from 2.14 Track Progress on a Stamina Chart, page 61

That's it for today my lovely readers! Hope you found these strategies as useful as I have and that you're thinking about ways to incorporate them in the upcoming year. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know below and I'll get back to you. Thanks for reading!

We would LOVE to read your posts about this book as well! If you have written a blog post about this book, feel free to link up below!

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Welcome to The Reading Strategies Book Study hosted by the wonderful Kelly at An Apple for the Teacher. This summer we'll be reading and sharing our reflections on a few of our favorite strategies from the 300 that Jennifer Serravallo writes about in her book. Each week we'll be studying a new goal and three focus strategies that you can use in your reading classroom. I hope you find these strategies useful as you sit, read, and relax this summer.Let's get started with Goal 1: Supporting Pre-emergent and Emergent Readers

Take a look at the strategies, levels, genres, and skills covered in this section.

This goal focuses on strategies to help any young children who are just beginning to read texts independently, though not yet conventionally. I have chosen to focus on three strategies from this goal which include:

The WHOLE and Teeny-Tiny Details

Characters Do, Characters Say

Connect the Pages

1.2 The WHOLE and Teeny-Tiny Details

I chose to focus on this strategy because I find that my second graders struggle with main idea and details. This strategy would definitely help make this skill more concrete and help them when summarizing what they are reading. I like that students read a page, circle the page with their finger to say what the WHOLE page talked about, then point to certain sections to discuss the details. It is important to use the academic language during this kinesthetic pointing and discussion to internalize the skill.

Prompts to ask when teaching this skill would be:

Use your finger. Sweep it across the whole page

Say, "This WHOLE page is about..."

Now zoom in on a small part. Say what you're learning.

Turn the page and try again.

Anchor Chart taken from 1.2 The WHOLE and Teeny-Tiny Details, page 25

1.6 Characters Do, Characters Say

This next strategy focuses on storytelling. As an elementary teacher, this is one of my favorite strategies since students LOVE to come up with stories. This strategy teaches students to try to sound like a storyteller on every page! They can accomplish this by looking carefully at the illustrations and describing what the character is doing and what the character is saying. I think this is excellent practice since students will be analyzing character traits later on! This can be a first step in accomplishing their understanding of characters.

Prompts to ask when teaching this skill would be:

What do you think he might be saying?

Look closely at the picture. What's he doing?

What's the action on this page?

Anchor chart taken from 1.6 Characters Do, Characters Say, page 29

1.19 Connect the Pages

This strategy focuses on reminding the students that ultimately the whole book is about ONE thing. All pages should connect to that ONE thing. I like this particular strategy because I can stop and redirect them back to the main topic and focus of the book. For this strategy you can use transition words to help make the story more memorable and to help in understanding the topic.

Prompts to ask when teaching this skill would be:

Think about how these pages connect.

Say, "And then..."

Say, "Another thing..."

How does what you learn on this page fit with what you learn on that page? *(my favorite)*

Anchor Chart taken from 1.19 Connect the Pages, page 42

That's it for today my lovely readers! Hope you found these strategies as useful as I have and that you're thinking about how to incorporate them in your classroom. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know below and I'll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Hello friends!!! I am back today to talk about prefixes and suffixes in the bilingual classroom and how I teach my kiddos about this word strategy. Keep reading there is a FREEBIE just for you :)

**Sliders**
First of all, I begin with a hands on sliding activity. I write three words on a sentence strip leaving space between each word. With another sentence strip, I cut a piece and fold to make it into a pocket that can slide through the sentence strip. On this pocket piece, I write the prefix or suffix we are focusing on for that lesson. Students read the three words on the sentence strip, then slide the pocket piece along and read the same words BUT with the prefix or suffix. We discuss how the base word changed and what the prefix/suffix means.

**Mat FREEBIE**
Next, students use the Prefixes/Suffixes Mat with post its to fill in the chart as we practice different words and their meanings. I provide a root word, prefix/suffix, then they write the meaning of the new word. This is a quick and easy practice you can do small/whole group. You can even use these for interventions. I like to glue a copy of this mat to their interactive journal inside covers that way they are always handy and ready to review. Click here to download this FREEBIE!

Other options:
-use a dry erase marker
-print multiple mats per page to use as exit tickets
-enlarge to poster size and have students go to the board and fill out

**Centers**Students will read through the 20 words and find the prefix/suffix the particular page focuses on. They color in the words they found with the prefix/suffix. After finding the words, they will select one word to create a sentence. Quick and easy prefixes and suffixes review for your kiddos.

**Prefijos Interactive BUNDLE**
After engaging students in different meaningful activities, I like to use anchor charts and interactive notebook pages to gauge their learning. Below is my Prefijos Interactive Bundle which can help you review and assess prefixes. Students love creating their interactive pages and then showing all they've learned through the assessments on each prefix.

I hope this post has been helpful and provided you with many ideas to teach prefixes/suffixes. What has worked for you? Feel free to leave me a comment below, I'd love to read about how you tackle this word strategy with your kiddos! XOXO, until next time friends!

Visit my store M&M Bilingual and type "prefijos" in the search box for a full list of resources perfect for your bilingual classroom!

**Note: I hope to have a Sufijos Interactive Bundle soon :) Follow my store to receive updates when it's posted.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Summertime is here and so are hot, hot, hot, humid summer days! Most of us teachers are out for summer EXCEPT for me :( I am still doing some curriculum writing tasks for my district so I'm not completely on break yet....BUT I totally love picking up Starbucks as I head out to tackle my long to-do list. What's your favorite drink? Mine... are pictured below :) Now keep reading for a gift card GIVEAWAY opportunity from some of my awesome bloggy friends!

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter. Giveaway ends 6/23/16 and is open worldwide.

Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media? Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers!

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Hello friends! Welcome back to this month's K-2 I Teach Linky. I am very excited to be joining my fellow blogger friends to share spectacular ideas with our readers. Be sure to read all the way to the end to grab a FREEBIE and enter our giveaway!!!

This month I am sharing a few ideas about my favorite time of the year.....SUMMER!!! Summer is the perfect time to recharge and prepare for an exciting new school year! During summer the days can drag on by with nothing to do. Do not fret, I have a quick and easy solution for those days with nothing to do. Simply print these "Summer Activities" wheels and use them at home with your own kids.

Since I don't have kids YET (due in August with my first), I print these out and hand out to my wonderful students. They LOVE assembling them and then reading through activities they can look forward to in the summer. What's best is that I have them in English and Spanish for those who need the bilingual version to send home!

Welcome back, friends! I am here today to help my wonderful bloggy friend, The Education Highway, celebrate her birthday! There is a lot in store for you so keep on reading for summer ideas, recipes, FREEBIES, and giveaways!!!!

Summer is my favorite time of the year because I actually have time to try all those recipes and ideas I've pinned throughout the year!!! Check out this refreshing cucumber & dill salad perfect for this 100 degree Texas weather!!!! Yep, you heard it 100 degrees sometimes 100+!!!! I definitely need to keep cool in this heat :)

Summer is a great time to try new activities as well! I will definitely be resting, catching up on sleep, and Netflix binge watching. However, a few ideas I'd like to try this summer are:

- Backyard Movie Picnic

- Playing Twister with *paint* eeekk!!

- Squirt gun painting :)

- Taking a nature walk in a new place

Do you have any summer ideas to do around the house? Here's a bucket list I found on Pinterest perfect for those days with nothing to do, but to enjoy.

Now here's a special freebie just for you! Keep the kiddos engaged with a summer bingo in ENGLISH and SPANISH!!! Send it home with your students or use it at home with your own kiddos, enjoy! Just click the pictures to download your copy :)

This blog hop wouldn't be possible without the contributions and support of our lovely sponsors. Check out the FREE Ebook with all our links to follow us and always be up to date with the latest resources available!